(LIBERTY, MO)---Seven WVIAC standouts, including first team tight end Ryan Travis, are among the 100 players selected to the 2009 D2Football.com All-American Team.
Four of the WVIAC's most explosive skill position players earned second team honors. West Liberty quarterback Zach Amedro, Shepherd kick returner Deante Steele, Concord wide receiver Thomas Mayo, and West Liberty wide receiver are the league's second team selections.
Glenville State linebacker Kaleb Lawrence and West Liberty offensive lineman Ben Staggs were picked for the honorable mention squad.
Travis (6-3, 245, Jr., Massillon, OH) established a West Liberty single-season record with 104 receptions. The junior caught eight or more passes in nine contests for the WVIAC champions. His 1250 receiving yards in 2009 is the 11th best total in league history.
Amedro (6-0, 200, Jr., Moundsville, WV), a runner-up for the Harlon Hill Trophy (top Division II player), led all levels of college football with a WVIAC single-season record 49 touchdown passes in 2009. The Moundsville, WV native also passed the 10,000-yard career mark for passing after throwing for 4,945 yards for the 11-2 Hilltoppers.
Mayo (6-2, 184, Soph., Reston, VA) played a key role in Concord's turnaround 6-5 season as he led Division II with 124.4 receiving yards per game. The sophomore made eleven touchdown grabs and his 1,368 receiving yards in 2009 stand fifth on the all-time WVIAC single-season list. Mayo went over the 100-yard receiving mark in seven of eleven contests.
Steele (5-9, 185, Jr., Woodbridge, VA), ranked third nationally with a 17.0 yard per punt return average. He also was ninth in kick returns at 28.9 yards per runback. The junior had five kick return (three punts, two kickoffs) touchdowns this season. His six return touchdowns (also had an interception TD return) on the year tied a Division II record, while his 10 career kick return (six punt returns, four kickoff returns) touchdowns tied the D-II career standard.
Walls (6-3, 205, Jr., Camden, NJ) was one of Division II's top deep threats, scoring touchdowns in 11 of 12 contests that he played in. The junior wide receiver snared 61 passes for 1321 yards, a yardage figure good for eighth in WVIAC single-season annals. Walls' 132 points scored marks the top single-season total by a league receiver and places him in a tie for seventh among all players.
Staggs (6-4, 275, Sr., Wooster, OH) anchored an offensive line that helped West Liberty roll up a Division II-best 542.3 yards per game. The senior was the Gene Upshaw Award (top D-II lineman) honoree and competed in the East-West Shrine All-Star Game.
Lawrence (6-2, 240, Sr., McLouth, KS) finished third in WVIAC with 109 total tackles. He also contributed 13 stops for loss to rank among the conference leaders. The three-time WVIAC Player of the Week recorded 10 or more tackles during each game of GSC's season-ending five-game win streak.
A total of 53 schools had players selected to the team. National champion Northwest Missouri State and runner-up Grand Valley had seven selections each. Central Washington and North Alabama, with five each, were the only other schools to exceed West Liberty's four honorees.
Wayne State running back Joique Bell, the 2009 Harlon Hill Trophy winner, was named as the Offensive Player of the Year. North Alabama linebacker Mike Johnson earned top defensive honors and Northwest Missouri's Mel Tjeerdsma got the nod for as the top coach.
The D2Football.com All-America Team was selected by the website's staff with input from coaches and sports information directors from around the country.
D2Football.com has named an All-America Team since its inception in 2000.
Find the complete squad here: